


The Perks of Picking Violets

by LunaEarnshaw



Category: The Perks of Being a Wallflower - All Media Types
Genre: Alice is gay, Bullying, Coming Out, F/F, High School, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Mary Elizabeth is bi, Swearing, coming out to self, some of the canon mary elizabeth/charlie stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-23 18:08:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13793244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaEarnshaw/pseuds/LunaEarnshaw
Summary: Unable to express themselves clearly amidst the chaotic pressures of high school and life beyond, Alice and Mary Elizabeth turn to writing letters to the Friend as well. Over the course of these letters they find out more about fear, love, and sexuality and become better friends for it. And then better something more than friends as well, but you'll have to read the story to find out about that.Happy Femslash February, folks!





	1. Alice

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING for those who don't read the notes: This work contains references to homophobia including the USE OF HOMOPHOBIC SLURS. Pretty much the same sort of stuff that's in canon, but just so you know.

Dear Friend,

I think I’m a lesbian.

That’s the first time I’ve ever written that down. I stopped and looked at it for a few minutes. I feel this stirring in my chest; it’s hard to explain. It’s like there’s a cat in my rib-cage stomping down around itself before settling into position. 

I’ve never said it out loud. You might be wondering why I’m writing to you instead of talking my friends about it. It’s not because they’re homophobic. They’re not. One of them, Patrick, is actually gay and no one has a problem with it. The rest of the school might not take it so well. But I trust my friends to keep a secret. They’ve been keeping Brad’s (Patrick’s sort of but not really boyfriend) secret, and most of us don’t even really like him that much. It’s frustrating. I should be able to talk to them. 

I guess I don’t want to because I’m not sure, and if I say something it will be more real. Even writing this makes it feel a bit more real. I guess I should make it clear I don’t know for sure, not like Patrick. Patrick’s always known. 

I’m thinking about this more now that I’ve started spending more time with this boy named Tommy. He’s in my history class. He sits in the back, and he doesn’t talk much but when he does it’s always something really smart. He wears concert T-shirts and black jeans. Sometimes he even wears eyeliner even though the asshole jocks push him around for it and call him a faggot. Anyway, we had to do this assignment in pairs about the Industrial Revolution, and because none of my friends were in that class and because Tommy seemed smart and like a pretty okay person, I asked if he wanted to work with me. We started out just talking about the assignment, but then somehow we got to talking about films and music and life things, and it turned out we had a lot in common. Later that day I went over to his house supposedly to work on the assignment, but really we spent more time talking about how the end of the Breakfast Club was kind of a let down while he played a tape by this cool weird British band called the Tiger Lillies. He told me about how he was saving money to buy a guitar. And I tried to film him for a bit for a personal project, but he got too shy so I filmed some ravens in the tree outside his window instead. Now, I sit next to him in history class and after school and he’s started coming to some of 

He’s a nice guy, and I think he likes me. I’m worried he might ask me out. I should like him. We have a lot in common and he’s not bad looking. But if I agree to go out with him, and it turns out I am gay, then I will have lied to him. That’s not right to him, and I’m not a liar. I don’t always tell the whole truth, but I don’t lie. 

I really don’t know what to do. But I do know I get all fluttery around girls in a way I don’t get around him. I guess the flutters are like that cat in my chest again. 

Love always,  
Alice


	2. Mary Elizabeth

Dear Friend,

 

I can’t wait to get out of this shithole town. I’m tired of the dirty looks and the bullshit and the fakes and the sad insecure girls with their macho insecure boyfriends. My bitch therapist says I’m “overly judgmental” and “prone to negative thinking”. I told her that maybe if she didn’t make such bullshit comments I wouldn’t have to call her on it, which she said “illustrated her point”. And yeah, she’s not wrong.

The thing most people don’t get about me is that I do actually see when I’m wrong. I just don’t admit it. It’s a conscious decision. As soon as someone admits they’re wrong, all their arguments lose public validity, especially if that someone is a woman.

My therapist told me to make a list of things that make me happy here and bring it in to her at our next session. And because she’s right I’m going to make the list, but because I’m not going to admit to her that I was wrong I’m not going to bring the list in. Instead I’m going to share it with you. Here it is:

Mary Elizabeth’s List of Things that Make Her Happy/ At Least Able to Stand It Till Graduation:

_1\. Punk Rocky_

Punk Rocky’s come a long way since I started it freshman year, and I really am proud of it. People have actually sent in letters thanking me for the pro-choice article I wrote. And thanks to Charlie the next issue is going to be in color and it’s going to kick ass!

_2\. Billie Holiday’s Summertime_

There’s something about listening to this song in the middle of winter that fills me with a stubborn sort of hope.

_3\. My Friends_

I don’t know what I’d do without them.

_4\. Alice_  
Alice does fall under the category of “My Friends”, but I just had to mention her again individually. Alice is my best friend. And she’s been really good at calming me down when I get nervous about Berkley lately. (Really the waiting game is worse than the application process if you ask me.)

_5.The Sadie Hawkins Dance_

So this one _really_ needs some explaining. No, I am not excited for this pseudo-feminist bullshit high school nonsense or the pathetic gym of sweaty losers swaying to shitty pop songs. I am excited because I asked Charlie to the dance and he said yes! Charlie’s not really the type of guy I go for, not that I have a _type_ type really. But he’s smart and really cute though he doesn’t know it.

 So that’s my list. I guess it’s good to think about the good stuff every once in a while. Makes the high school nonsense and the fact that we’re killing our planet and ruining our country a bit easier to think about.

 

 Love always,

Mary Elizabeth

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'd love to know what you think. <3 LunaEarnshaw

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think folks! And happy Femslash February! This site needs more femslash, and I hope I can do my part in pitching in to fix that. <3 LunaEarnshaw


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